A riveting story of American fighting men, Outlaw Platoon is Lieutenant Sean Parnell’s stunning personal account of the legendary U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division’s heroic stand in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Acclaimed for its vivid, poignant, and honest recreation of sixteen brutal months of nearly continuous battle in the deadly Hindu Kesh, Outlaw Platoon is a Band of Brothers or We Were Soldiers Once and Young for the early 21st century—an action-packed, highly emotional true story of enormous sacrifice and bravery.

A magnificent account of heroes, renegades, infidels, and brothers, it stands with Sebastian Junger’s War as one of the most important books to yet emerge from the heat, smoke, and fire of America’s War in Afghanistan.

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Review:

Best-Selling Author Brad Thor Reviews Outlaw PlatoonHow close can we get to really knowing what it's like to succeed in combat? To fight, to survive—even thrive—while facing enemy fire every other day? To get on-the-job training in what it takes to be a strong, decisive commander? These are a few of the things that make Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell and John Bruning such a kick-ass read.

Two of the grittiest, most intense tales of courage and camaraderie under fire that I own are Black Hawk Down and Lone Survivor. Now I have a third: Outlaw Platoon. It’s the Black Hawk Down for the 21st Century. It is an absolutely gripping, edge-of-your-seat ride that follows these men when the fates foolishly attempt to stack the deck against them. This book has Hollywood blockbuster written all over it. But there’s much more than just the guns-blazing action. It is an epic tale of leadership, heroism, and the bond among warriors who ply their deadly trade with a deceivingly simple mandate—to kill the enemy and return home together alive. It’s an absolute must read!

Brad Thor Interviews Sean Parnell

Brad Thor: What was your first day like on the ground in Afghanistan’s eastern frontier?

Sean Parnell: The moment I arrived at Forward Operating Base Bermel, the insurgents attacked the base with rocket fire. They missed the FOB, but hit a local village, killing and wounding a number of children. The villagers rushed their injured to our front gate, and I ran to help. Our troops wanted to help all of the children, but the Afghan fathers insisted the boys be treated first. I grabbed a little girl anyways and sprinted for the aid station. She bled out in my arms as I ran.

That was my introduction to combat. All I was, all I had been, changed in that instant.

Thor: What surprised you about the enemy in Afghanistan?

Parnell: We found an enemy that wasn’t a bunch of farmers with leftover weapons, but one of the finest light infantry forces in the world. These fighters were brilliantly led, seasoned warriors. Some had spent their entire lives in combat—stretching back to the Soviet War in the 1980’s. They were elusive, heavily armed and extremely well equipped with the latest armor-piercing bullets, anti-tank weapons, body armor, and other gear essential to ground operations.

They also had no mercy. None. Their objective was to overrun an American platoon, behead everyone and stick our heads on stakes. In battle, we heard them on the radio ordering their teams to do this, and we saw the huge knives they carried for the task.

They did their best to overrun us three times. But we were better. Just barely.

Thor: Describe the bond forged in battle—the loyalty and bravery you saw and why you think that’s vital to success.

Parnell: During my 16 months in combat I saw the noblest aspects of the human spirit, thanks to the bond that developed among the men. We realized that the only way we could survive this crucible was to remain committed to each other. Not for ourselves, but to ensure that we would survive to see our loved ones back home again.

Thor: How would you describe the men in your platoon?

Parnell: In a word: unique. Our army mirrors the country it’s sworn to protect, and I think the Outlaws reflected America’s greatest strength: diversity. My men came from all walks of life. They believed in American exceptionalism with every fiber of their being. And if they were similar in any way, it was in this ideal.

From the Back Cover:

In combat, men measure up. Or don't. There are no second chances.

In this vivid account of the U.S. Army's legendary 10th Mountain Division's heroic stand in the mountains of Afghanistan, Captain Sean Parnell shares an action-packed and highly emotional true story of triumph, tragedy, and the extraordinary bonds forged in battle.

At twenty-four years of age, U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell was named commander of a forty-man elite infantry platoon—a unit that came to be known as the Outlaws—and was tasked with rooting out Pakistan-based insurgents from a mountain valley along Afghanistan's eastern frontier. Parnell and his men assumed they would be facing a ragtag bunch of civilians, but in May 2006 what started out as a routine patrol through the lower mountains of the Hindu Kush became a brutal ambush. Barely surviving the attack, Parnell's men now realized that they faced the most professional and seasoned force of light infantry the U.S. Army had encountered since the end of World War II.

What followed was sixteen months of close combat, over the course of which the platoon became Parnell's family: from Staff Sergeant Greg Greeson, the wise, chain-smoking veteran who never lost his cool; to Specialist Robert Pinholt, a buttoned-down conservative with the heart of a warrior and the mind of an economist; to Staff Sergeant Phil Baldwin, the platoon's voice of calm and reason, a man who sacrificed everything following the events of 9/11—career, home, financial stability—to serve his country. But the cost of battle was high for these men: Over 80 percent were wounded in action, putting their casualty rate among the highest since Gettysburg, and not all of them made it home.

A searing and unforgettable story of friendship in battle, Outlaw Platoon brings to life the intensity and raw emotion of those sixteen months, showing how the fight reshaped the lives of Parnell and his men and how the love and faith they found in one another ultimately kept them alive.

Book Description HarperCollins Publishers Inc, United States, 2012. Hardback. Book Condition: New. New. 226 x 156 mm. Language: English Brand New Book. When U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell s platoon was ordered to root out Pakistani-based insurgents from a mountain valley along the Eastern Afghan Frontier, he and his forty men thought they would be facing a ragtag bunch of armed civilians - an assumption that almost got them killed. On May 7, 2006, what started out as a routine patrol through the lower mountains of the Hindu Kush became a lethal ambush. Barely surviving the attack, Parnell s men realized that they were facing the most professional and seasoned force of light infantry the U.S. Army had encountered since the end of World War II. Well-trained, heavily armed, cunning, and ferociously courageous, the insurgents also displayed consummate tactical skill. They had studied the soldiers communication patterns and equipment, and knew their capabilities-and severe limitations. What followed was sixteen months of continuous battle in which Parnell s Outlaw Platoon killed more than 350 enemy combatants. During countless clashes on the border, the platoon discovered the truth about our Pakistani allies and the extent of their military involvement against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In five of the largest battles along the border since the war began, waves of insurgents attempted to overrun Parnell s platoon with the avowed intent of beheading him and his men. Each time, Parnell s men held them off. But the cost was high: over eighty percent was wounded in action - a rate not seen since Gettysburg. Despite these daunting odds, Parnell s men displayed unparalleled bravery. Outlaw Platoon is the story of those sixteen months, a gripping narrative of how close combat reshaped the lives of Parnell and his men, and how the love and faith they found in each other kept them alive. Bookseller Inventory # AA89780062066398

Book Description William Morrow, 2012. Book Condition: New. Brand New, Unread Copy in Perfect Condition. A+ Customer Service! Summary: A riveting story of American fighting men, Outlaw Platoon is Lieutenant Sean Parnell's stunning personal account of the legendary U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division's heroic stand in the mountains of Afghanistan. Acclaimed for its vivid, poignant, and honest recreation of sixteen brutal months of nearly continuous battle in the deadly Hindu Kesh, Outlaw Platoon is a Band of Brothers or We Were Soldiers Once and Young for the early 21st centuryan action-packed, highly emotional true story of enormous sacrifice and bravery. A magnificent account of heroes, renegades, infidels, and brothers, it stands with Sebastian Junger's War as one of the most important books to yet emerge from the heat, smoke, and fire of America's War in Afghanistan. Bookseller Inventory # ABE_book_new_0062066390

Book Description HarperCollins Publishers Inc, United States, 2012. Hardback. Book Condition: New. 226 x 156 mm. Language: English Brand New Book. When U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell s platoon was ordered to root out Pakistani-based insurgents from a mountain valley along the Eastern Afghan Frontier, he and his forty men thought they would be facing a ragtag bunch of armed civilians - an assumption that almost got them killed. On May 7, 2006, what started out as a routine patrol through the lower mountains of the Hindu Kush became a lethal ambush. Barely surviving the attack, Parnell s men realized that they were facing the most professional and seasoned force of light infantry the U.S. Army had encountered since the end of World War II. Well-trained, heavily armed, cunning, and ferociously courageous, the insurgents also displayed consummate tactical skill. They had studied the soldiers communication patterns and equipment, and knew their capabilities-and severe limitations. What followed was sixteen months of continuous battle in which Parnell s Outlaw Platoon killed more than 350 enemy combatants. During countless clashes on the border, the platoon discovered the truth about our Pakistani allies and the extent of their military involvement against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In five of the largest battles along the border since the war began, waves of insurgents attempted to overrun Parnell s platoon with the avowed intent of beheading him and his men. Each time, Parnell s men held them off. But the cost was high: over eighty percent was wounded in action - a rate not seen since Gettysburg. Despite these daunting odds, Parnell s men displayed unparalleled bravery. Outlaw Platoon is the story of those sixteen months, a gripping narrative of how close combat reshaped the lives of Parnell and his men, and how the love and faith they found in each other kept them alive. Bookseller Inventory # AA89780062066398

Book Description HarperCollins Publishers Inc. Hardback. Book Condition: new. BRAND NEW, Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan, Sean Parnell, John Bruning, When U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell's platoon was ordered to root out Pakistani-based insurgents from a mountain valley along the Eastern Afghan Frontier, he and his forty men thought they would be facing a ragtag bunch of armed civilians - an assumption that almost got them killed. On May 7, 2006, what started out as a routine patrol through the lower mountains of the Hindu Kush became a lethal ambush. Barely surviving the attack, Parnell's men realized that they were facing the most professional and seasoned force of light infantry the U.S. Army had encountered since the end of World War II. Well-trained, heavily armed, cunning, and ferociously courageous, the insurgents also displayed consummate tactical skill. They had studied the soldiers' communication patterns and equipment, and knew their capabilities-and severe limitations. What followed was sixteen months of continuous battle in which Parnell's "Outlaw Platoon" killed more than 350 enemy combatants. During countless clashes on the border, the platoon discovered the truth about our Pakistani "allies" and the extent of their military involvement against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In five of the largest battles along the border since the war began, waves of insurgents attempted to overrun Parnell's platoon with the avowed intent of beheading him and his men. Each time, Parnell's men held them off. But the cost was high: over eighty percent was wounded in action - a rate not seen since Gettysburg. Despite these daunting odds, Parnell's men displayed unparalleled bravery. "Outlaw Platoon" is the story of those sixteen months, a gripping narrative of how close combat reshaped the lives of Parnell and his men, and how the love and faith they found in each other kept them alive. Bookseller Inventory # B9780062066398

Book Description William Morrow, 2012. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. Brand New Book. Shipping: Once your order has been confirmed and payment received, your order will then be processed. The book will be located by our staff, packaged and despatched to you as quickly as possible. From time to time, items get mislaid en route. If your item fails to arrive, please contact us first. We will endeavour to trace the item for you and where necessary, replace or refund the item. Please do not leave negative feedback without contacting us first. All orders will be dispatched within two working days. If you have any quesions please contact us. Bookseller Inventory # V9780062066398